So the storybook Saint's (formally known as the Aint's) Have a majical run and win the SB. But something funny happened along the way. America found themselves rooting for those long suffering underdoggs (snicker). But you can't have two darlings. If there is a sweathart there has to be a villin? BUT.. The other team is the Colts. Alast.. the love afair with the Colts has turned. In the weeks leading up to the SB they were being called "The machine, "A Computer" and any other term that would lead you to believe that they were without a heart. Thats right... the beloved Colts became unworthy of our hearts and minds. The Colts became "Them". They became the thing that we all root against. They didn't help themselves during the game. I'm sure that nodody reading this shed even the smallest of tears for jeremy Shockey, BUT. That stray camera shot that captured the assualt on him exposed the Colts for what they are. And in a Rodnet Harrison type of moment Tracy Porter stripped Peyton Manning of his crown and sent him to the gallows. Peyton would walk off the field with his head down and without showing respect to his aponent. You would think that the demise to be complete. he followed up by making an excuse for not showing good sportsmanship. Luckily the media gave have a break. Something they have not done for others. To add insult to injury, The Colt faithful totally and completely shun their team. Reports say that only 11 people showed up to meet their returning warriors.

Facts:1) Tom Brady is and always has been better than Peyton Manning.2) The Patriots are the team of the decade. FYI Pitt is 2nd on that list.3) Polian secretly had that cameraman executed and he has called an emergency meeting of the competition comittee.4) No Dynasty has ever existed in Indianapolis.

Like it or not, Peyton Manning is the face of the NFL. Vegas already has the Colts winning the 2011 SB. The Colts are a very good team and Bill Polian may well be the best judge of talent in the NFL. There were never any dynasties in the NFL, there were though teams of the decades. The Packers of the 60's, Steelers of the 70's, 49ers of the 80's. Dallas of the 90's and the Pats of the 2000's. The 50's-60's Celtics who won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons are the gold standard for the definition of a true dynasty. There will never be a dynasty in the NFL due to the great equilizer - free agency. The Saints should enjoy their new found fame, it's fleeting and I'm sure that many of the Saints who now have a SB ring will be looking for a big payday if not w/the Saints then elsewhere.

The face of the NFL is not by fan choice, but by Roger Goodell constantly jamming it down our throats. It was a poor choice by Roger, but it's not like he hasn't made a bunch of poor choices as commissioner.

It's interesting how these things go. The Pats came out of nowhere to defeat The Greatest Show on Turf and Kraft made that audaucios "We are all patriots . . . " speech and New England was like The Little Engine That Could and everybody loved them. But soon, the Pats turned into a juggernaut that dismantled opponents with cruel efficiency and it became very easy to hate the Pats, particularly when the whole Spygate thing got blown up beyond any realistic perspective.

So the networks gave us the Colts to play Dudley Do-Right to the Pats' Snidely Whiplash. Tony Dungy was served up as some kind of anti-Belichick, a down-to-earth man of the people who "did things the right way." Peyton Manning was roundly hailed as the Quarterback of Eternity, despite fairly damning evidence that he is wont to come up small when the lights shine brightest. The world needs an underdog to root for and when the Pats seemed utterly indomitable, the Colts filled that role nicely.

But you can't have it both ways.

As New England returned to the middle of the upper echelon the last couple seasons, it seemed inevitable that Indy would takes its mantle as the class of the league, and Sunday night (if you believe the people who follow this kind of thing for a living) was to be the Colts' -- and particularly Manning's -- coronation. But, alas, the football gods tend to have a sense of humor about these kinds of things (as any Pats fan and David Tyree know all too well), and instead of giving us Manning the conquering hero, they gave us Manning with his familiar goat horns and some empty platitudes. And worst of all, the Colts aren't even lovable losers anymore. You can't be an underdog to the Saints. No matter what they did this season, they've been down too long. Add in the uproar over the Colts thumbing their noses at a potential shot at immortality this past season, and it starts to look as if the Manning Colts are always going to be one of those "it might have been" teams. I don't really have a feel for the Colts' identity outside their local fandom. I'm starting to get the feeling, though, that people are sick of them --particularly Manning -- even though they haven't really accomplished all that much.

And now I'm reading that 11 people showed up at the airport to greet their broken gladiators. I don't really believe that number. It's just too patent an ending to the show. I have no doubt that the Colts will be back. The annoying thing about them is that they continue to evolve and do not seem to take very many steps back. But my guess is that the next time we are swept away in an avalanche of Peytonica, the focus will be less on his eternal intergalactic superiority and more about his perfection of that hangdog expression he wears so well after his team blows another shot at a legitimate legacy.

My point is that nobody likes the perenial winner. The Pats became villified for being successful. Unfortunately when you do win often it starts to look cold and machine like. Our Patriots were viewed like this after winning their last SB. I hate to use them as an example but the NYY's are almost universaly hated by all outside NY. They are actually a very classy org. The Colts with Dungy had been viewed as Saintly (Sorry.. couldn't pass up the opportuniy) and with having high morals. We all saw right through all that. Now the love affair is over and they are the NFL's heartless team. Picked to win it all next year and with that comes the burden of being dis-liked.

On a funny note: As I watched the Colt games over the season I couldn't help but be reminded of a movie from the 70's called "The Bad News Bears". It was about a really good littleleague Baseball team that got a chance to play in the big game. But there was a problem. They had no coach. So they took the mentally impaired groundskeeper along and passed him off as their coach. Throught the big game they would pan in on him. he would always just be staring blankly at nothing.. Just sayin..

"Like it or not, Peyton Manning is the face of the NFL. Vegas already has the Colts winning the 2011 SB. The Colts are a very good team and Bill Polian may well be the best judge of talent in the NFL."Maryland-------------

The Colts may be very good, but the Pats won more AFC Championships: four, and should have won a fifth, if Polian hadn't jacked up the heat in the sauyna they call the Who's your Dome. Patsfan-------------

Everyone uses several figures to promote their respective sport. Peyton will be promoted; like others, to sell tickets. I know homers don't want to admit it - but he is a good quarterback - and he sells LOTS of tickets and merchanidise.

Hey BubWe woulall agree 100% that PM is not only good but great. The media have given us reason to resent him. He has been given every accolade that you can bestow on a man and a football player. And that is fine. What fry's everyones azs is that he is given them either before earning them or for never actually achieving the status he holds. The 2007 Patriots showed us clearly that... "you can built 10,000 bridges.. But if you suk 1 cok... what do they call you??? I understand there are QB's out there with SB rings that are not considered great. But we also know the QB's that do fall into that great catagory. And in that catagory it's all about the hardware.. TB has it all over PM..

"Calmy saidIt is a sad season when the best moment is Indy losing in the Super Bowl. The Colts are the early favorites for 2010 in Vegas and the Pats (minus Welker) are no longer the best team in the AFC East. "

Why is this sad?? And who in the AFC East is better??? The Jets????? R U JOKING??? They had their day in the sun and blew it. Unless you have cash... And then I would say "Bet the house" cause the Jets are coming on strong..

Do not confuse a great quarterback (Peyton Manning) with a mediocre organization.

Manning deserves many accolades for his accomplishments. His passing, play calling and overall football abilities make him a Hall of Fame player. He is one of the best quarterbacks of out time.

Tom Brady deserves the same, if not more, for taking the Patriots to three Superbowl victories. Again a Hall of Fame player.

However the colts, as an organization, lack "it". They are led by an organization that is afraid to go for greatness. They first try not to fail. Greatness is never thrust upon you. You have to earn it through hardwork. No fear of failing. The ones that are great take the chance for greatness.

They will never be more than a good team that never made it to the top. Teams like the 00's Patriots, 90's Cowboys, 80's 49ers, 70's Steelers and the 60's Packers.

However the colts, as an organization, lack "it". They are led by an organization that is afraid to go for greatness. They first try not to fail. Greatness is never thrust upon you. You have to earn it through hardwork. No fear of failing. The ones that are great take the chance for greatness.

You can't put it all on the colts - Manning led his HS team to a near perfect record while he started with the exception of winning the Championship game. He did the same at Tennessee.